But now, with a large coalition of labor unions–and the labor-backed Working Families Party–also rallying behind (and raising for) Espada’s challenger, Gustavo Rivera, some are starting to wonder where NRI has been lately.

“Labor and the W.F.P. are on the ground in a big way behind Gustavo,” said one labor insider. “But Espada is out buying votes and doing who knows what other shenanigans. New Roosevelt needs to remind voters why Espada has to go.”

NRI said it’s still all in.

“We’ve long been on the record reminding people why Espada has to go,” said Jay Strell, a spokesman for NRI.

“Part of the issue here is that people know Espada is a bad guy,” he said, referencing a recent NRI-sponsored poll that showed many district voters hold a negative view of Espada, but don’t yet know much about Rivera. “What we’re trying to do is strike a balance between a positive message and a negative message.”

Strell said the group has several mailers in the works–both positive and negative–and will open a Bronx field office next this week (possibly as early as tomorrow) so that the organization has “boots on the ground.”